Mayson Lives!
by Lara-Van
Summary: Mayson Drake has survived the car bomb intended to kill her, and now she wants some ANSWERS! Will she be able to move on?
1. We Need To Talk

Clark paced the hall, listening to the clock tick. It had been three hours since "Superman" had brought Mayson to the hospital. Shouldn't there be some word by now?

Lois watched him helplessly. She was concerned for him (and for Mayson, too. Of course.), and hoped for his sake that Mayson would be alright.

She knew that it was incredibly selfish of her, but she couldn't keep her mind from straying back to the moment Clark had kissed her. It had been most definitely the best kiss she'd ever had, despite having been interrupted in a most disastrous way.

"Mr. Kent?" Clark looked up from his pacing. A young male nurse stepped out from Mayson's room. "Ms. Drake's condition is stable and she's awake. She's been asking for you," he said. Clark hurried to the door.

"Would you like me to go in with you?" Lois asked, hating herself. She might tell herself that it was concern for her friend-enemy, Mayson, but inside she had to admit that it was also partly concern for what might happen if she left Clark and Mayson alone together.

"No, Lois. That's okay," Clark said quietly. Then he opened the door, stepped into the room, and closed it behind him.

Mayson lay propped up in the hospital bed. Her arms and neck were burned, but not as badly as it had seemed to him when it had first happened. There was a patch of gauze taped to her forehead. Her blonde hair was straggly and her brown eyes had a look of confusion in them.

"Hi Mayson," Clark said. "How are you feeling?" Mayson sighed. "I'm okay, considering the circumstances. They think I'll have to stay in the hospital for awhile. But Clark... we have to talk."

* * *

A Note From Lara: Those are such ominous words, 'We have to talk', aren't they? They almost never presage anything good. Something interesting, sure. But something positive? Not so likely.

Earlier this afternoon, I started thinking, "Well, there are all these Clark-Lois revelation moments. Why not a Clark-Mayson revelation?" Of course, the romantic pairing is still Clois, but if Mayson were to survive the attempt on her life, it would just make it _so_ much more complicated. It sticks a fourth (and seriously pissed off) corner onto the love triangle for two. And given her less than glowing opinion of Superman, well...

I know there's not a lot to work with here, but reviews are always appreciated. (Evil Me says: If you don't review, I will letterbomb you.) (Non-Evil Me kicks Evil Me in the shin) (No, I'm not as crazy as that makes me sound)


	2. Explanations

"Sit down," Mayson said, gesturing to the chair beside her bed. Clark winced at the way the seared skin on her arm pulled and cracked. He sat.

"Now," Mayson continued, "I wasn't really in any condition to trust what I saw, but when you pulled me out of that car, I could have sworn that I... saw the Superman suit underneath your shirt." She took a deep breath. "As I see it, there are only three possibilities; either I was delirious, you have a Superman obsession, or... you actually are Superman."

Clark sighed and simply stared into her eyes. "I thought so," Mayson said quietly. "So... what now?" "I guess you have a lot of questions," Clark said. She nodded. "Well then, ask away."

Mayson bit her lip and looked away, then suddenly turned back to look directly at Clark. "Superman only showed up in Metropolis a year and a half ago. Clark Kent started working at the Planet a week previously. The assumption has always been that Superman came to the earth at that time. But... I've met your parents. So then, are they...?"

Clark shook his head. "No, Jonathan and Martha Kent are as human as you are."

"Well then, are they, like, hired actors or something? To keep up the charade of Clark Kent?" His lips went white with shock and carefully controlled anger. "Clark Kent is not a charade, Mayson. I am Clark. I've always been Clark, all my life." He sighed, then continued in a tired voice, "My parents found me in a field near their house. I was just a baby. They took me in and raised me."

Mayson's brow furrowed in confusion. "But why did you wait so long to use your powers openly?" Clark's mouth quirked. "I didn't even have powers until I was in my teens. And then, I didn't want to reveal the truth about myself. Firstly, because I didn't come up with the idea of a double identity until pretty recently. And then, of course, there was the problem that I didn't even _know_ the truth about myself until very recently."

"What do you mean?" Mayson asked. Clark blew out his cheeks, wondering whether or not to answer her question. After all, no one knew this but himself and his parents. He was pretty sure he could trust Mayson, but should he take the chance?

"Ever since my powers started developing and my parents explained how they found me, I've always wondered who I was, _what_ I was. My father always figured I was some kind of Russian genetic experiment. They only clue they had to my origins was a little scrap of material- the first of the crests I wear on the Suit."

Mayson half-smiled sadly. "So you never knew who you were." "No. Then shortly after I came to Metropolis, Lois and I found... a warehouse. Someone from the government had found my ship, and put it with a bunch of other U.F.O.s. I recognized the ship because it had the same 'S' symbol on it. There was a little globe sitting with it, which I... reclaimed." Clark sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"A few months later, the globe started projecting images. Messages from a man named Jor-El. He told me that I was from the planet Krypton. He told me my name; it was the first time I ever knew my name. At the time the messages were recorded, Krypton was..." Clark closed his eyes. He'd known the truth of this for so long, but actually putting it into words was hard.

"Krypton was on the verge of exploding. Jor-El and his wife Lara were racing to build a ship in time to save Kal-El, their infant son. Me. The only survivor of my species. The Last Son of Krypton."

Mayson put her hand to her mouth, her eyes wide in shock. "Oh my god, that must've been... I mean, finding that out would be so..."

Clark nodded. "I always hoped that maybe there'd be someone else, anyone else. No such luck, I guess. But it's alright. I don't need other Kryptonians. I've got Lois, my parents, Jimmy and Perry, you... Or at least, I hope I've still got you."

Mayson sighed, and started to speak, but Clark held up his hand. "Just let me talk. Mayson, I know how you feel about Superman. If you never want to speak to me again, I'll understand completely." Mayson drew a deep breath. "Honestly, Clark, I have no idea what to think, what to feel. Give me some time to work through this."

They were silent for several minutes, then Clark said, "I'll let you get some rest. You've had... a bad day." Mayson smiled, and he turned away and left the room.

A Note From Lara: Okay, another pretty brief chapter. It took me awhile to figure out where to go from here, but I think I've realized how this will work out. As always, reviews are appreciated.


	3. Mayson's Alias

The pencil Clark was writing with snapped in half, and he groaned in frustration. It was the eighth one he'd broken in the past three hours. Tossing the broken pieces aside, he leaned back in his chair.

"You okay?" Lois asked from where she was bent over her own impossible stack of papers.

"No," Clark said petulantly. Mayson had been released from the hospital the day before, and he had hoped that she would contact him. His pager remained silent, and every time he called her, the answering machine picked up.

"You wanna talk about it?" Lois asked quietly. Clark looked across the desk at her, and wondered where they stood. He knew how he felt about her, beyond any doubt, but he had no way of knowing what was going on in her head. Sometimes he felt like just throwing caution to the wind and telling her the truth. The whole truth, not just about how he felt, but his other identity.

But then... now that Mayson knew about his 'side job', she was avoiding him, ducking his calls. What if Lois freaked out the same way? What if she couldn't handle it, couldn't reconcile his two personalities? He couldn't bear that.

"Not particularly," he said with a sigh. "Well, I'm going to call it a day." He switched off his desk light, and turned off his computer.

As Clark reached the elevator, he turned back over his shoulder and smiled as he saw Lois returning to the pile of records. "Lois?" he called. "Yes, Clark?" she asked, without looking up. "Try to remember to actually go home tonight. It's not good for you to sleep at your desk." Lois laughed softly. "Goodnight, Clark!"

Clark knew immediately that there was someone in his apartment. He could hear a racing heartbeat, and smelled a woman's perfume. He hardly dared to hope that it was Mayson. But, after a moment, he decided that the perfume was hers after all.

Opening the door to his apartment, he called her name softly. She came walking somewhat unsteadily in from his kitchen. The burns on her face and arms had subsided to dull red patches, and the cut across her forehead was nearly healed.

"How did you--? Oh, of course," she said with a sigh. "Do you mind if we... sit down and just... talk?" she asked. Clark nodded, and followed her into the living room.

They sat down on the couch. Mayson bit her lip. "Clark, maybe you didn't notice, I hope you didn't, but I've kind of been... avoiding you." Clark shrugged. "Well, I asked for time to think, and... I've thought." Mayson drew a deep breath.

"And, Clark... I admit, I still have feelings for you. But I just... can't deal with a relationship with you. I wouldn't be able to handle knowing that you're Superman, someone I still really don't like, to be completely honest with you. But... we can still be friends, right?"

Clark smiled, and nodded. Now that he knew how she felt about the situation, it was as though a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. "Of course, Mayson. I want to stay friends with you."

Mayson smiled with relief, then suddenly frowned again. "I... Clark, there's something else. I've been working on something, conducting an investigation. Some pretty heavy stuff, and I've got almost all the evidence to prove my theory. It's the reason that bomb was in my car, and the D.A. thinks that once the perpetrators realize that I'm not in the morgue, they might try again. He wants to put me in the witness protection program."

"What?" Clark gasped. Mayson nodded. "Yeah. He's already arranged it all. I'm leaving tomorrow. I can't tell you exactly where I'm going, except to say that I'll be staying in Metropolis city limits. The D.A. told me that I could let three people know. I've already told my father, and I don't really have any other close friends. So, I've decided to tell you and Lois about this."

Clark's head was reeling. This wasn't what he'd expected at all. Witness protection program? That was so... out there. "So do you have an alias or something?" he asked, completely overwhelmed. Mayson nodded. "I'm going undercover as 'Chloe Sullivan', an ex-reoprter for the Metropolis Star, ironically."

Clark nodded. "Ironically," he whispered. "How long will you be--?" Mayson shrugged. "I have no idea. Probably until this whole thing is over with and all the psychos are locked away. Once I'm in place, I'll contact you, okay?"

She stood up, and Clark stood with her. "Look, Mayson, it means a lot to me that you trust me with this." Mayson nodded. "I trust you with my life, Clark. And, despite our history, I trust Lois. She's got a good heart, and she's honest. I know she wouldn't betray me."

Mayson glanced at her watch. "Speaking of which, I wanted to speak to her personally about... well... all this. Do you know where she is?" Clark grinned. "That, I can tell you. She's probably still at the Planet. I told her to go home and get some sleep, but it's almost a sure thing that she'll still be there when I get there tomorrow."

Mayson smiled, heading for the door. "I guess we'll see if I have more luck. Well, I'll talk to you sometime Clark. Don't expect to hear from me for a couple of days, but..." Clark nodded. "Thanks... Chloe," he said.

A Note From Lara: I don't know. Do you think the LnC/SV crossover is a little too much? I didn't think so, but of course, it's what YOU think that really matters. Ever since I first really got into Smallville, I've found the character of Chloe Sullivan absolutely fascinating, with her unrequited love for Clark, the fact that she still has feelings for him all the time she knows him, how she discovers his secret by accident, and keeps it from him, how she helps him sort out his life, even while doing so tears her own apart... It's just so endearing. And she and Mayson are so alike. I mean, both blondes, both investigators of one kind or another. They both fall hard for a certain reporter/farmboy. They both get blown up at one point or another... ;) And so I thought... well, change her name. And why? Because of the investigation that got her deep-fried in the first place. Let me know what you think!


	4. Time To Let Go

Chloe Sullivan, formerly known as Mayson Drake, stared out the window of her taxi. Her newly shorn, chemically straightened hair brushed against her cheek. As she looked at herself in the dark glass, she didn't look quite like herself. Certainly, if she looked, it was her face. But she didn't dress like herself, her dark eyes were obscured by thick-framed glasses, and her hair was short. Short like Lois Lane's.

The taxi pulled up in front of the Daily Planet, and Chloe could see a single light still shining on the top floor of the building. She handed the driver a few bills, instructed him to keep the change, and entered the building. Everything was still and quiet, and the ding of the elevator as the doors slid open seemed incongruously loud.

Chloe shivered. Not so long ago, someone had put a bomb on her engine because of what she was looking into. Here, so alone and utterly unprotected, she would be an easy target for anyone who still wished to pick her off. _No_, she instructed herself. _Don't give in to the fear. You've had death threats before, this one was just a little more... serious. And besides... Clark's always there. He'll protect you, he said so himself._

The elevator rose, and she pondered. She still loved Clark, she supposed. But knowing that he was Superman... the thought made her shudder again. How could he be the wonderful, sensitive, caring guy she knew, and also the distant, arrogant superhero? It didn't make any sense. She knew they had no future together, that much was obvious.

But she had known that from the beginning. Mayson Drake, Chloe Sullivan, whoever she was... maybe they'd have worked if Lois Lane hadn't been part of the equation. But she'd always known from the beginning that she had no shot. The way he gazed at Lois when he thought (correctly) that she wouldn't notice, as if she was the most perfect, precious thing in the world. He was certainly attracted to her- Chloe- but Lois had something that she never would. Chloe didn't know what it was, she didn't really care to know anymore. He loved Lois, he always had and always would, in a passionate, eternal way she had never seen before.

But then, what was she doing here? Why had she come to see Lois tonight? To surrender, to give the white flag, and relinquish what, if any, claim she'd had on Clark?

No, that wasn't it. She'd resolved to tell Lois about her entrance into the Witness Protection Program, obviously, but it was more than that. Chloe sighed. If she didn't want Clark anymore, then she had to let Lois know. More than that, she had to give them a nudge in the right direction. If she couldn't be happy, Clark could be, at least. Things were very strange for him and Lois at the moment, Chloe was sure. She knew she couldn't fix whatever it was entirely, but maybe she could give Clark the edge he needed to finally win over the woman of his dreams.

Chloe bit her lip until it nearly bled. A week ago, she'd have been plotting ways to _become_ the woman of his dreams. But things had changed. She was weak, she couldn't deal. Lois could, maybe. And Chloe was sure that someday, she would.

The elevator doors dinged open, and Chloe looked out across the bullpen. All was dark except for a single desk lamp illuminating a single desk. Lois Lane was bent over her work. Chloe drew a deep breath. This was it. It was time to cut all her ties to her old life.

**A Note From Lara: Okay, I know, I know. This chapter is really, REALLY short. But I haven't updated this fic in forever, and I figured that even a brief update was better than nothing. I hope you like it, and don't hate me that it's pretty miniscule. Future updates possible sometime in the next few weeks.**


	5. Girl Chat

"Lois?" Chloe asked timidly.

"Who--? _Mayson_?" Lois gasped, looking up suddenly from her work.

Chloe sighed. "No. Not anymore." She strode across the bullpen to where Lois sat behind her desk. She sat down in the desk across from her- Clark's desk, she guessed. "I'm... I'm investigating something really big, Lois. I guess you knew that. Somebody tried to turn me into barbecue because of it." She laughed nervously. _Just say it straight out, Mayson, nice and simple, easy to understand._ "So until I finish my investigation, I'm going undercover. I've been put in the Witness Protection Program until I can wrap this up. My new alias is Chloe Sullivan, if you need to contact me for any reason."

Lois's mouth dropped open. "Oh my god, that's... wow," she said softly. A thoughtful look crossed her face. "Any chance you can tell me what you're working on?" she asked slyly.

Chloe's mouth twitched up in a resigned smile. "No chance at all, Lois. Clark would finish my would-be killers job for them if I told you and anything happened to you." Oops, wrong thing to say. At the very mention of Clark's name, Lois's look became pensive and the atmosphere in the room became heavy and awkward.

Silence reigned in the Planet's newsroom for a full two minutes, and the two women stared pointedly anywhere but at each other. Finally, Lois broke the tense moment

"Look Mays-- Chloe, whatever. I'm honored that you chose to trust me with this, but... why? We don't like each other," she said awkwardly.

Chloe shrugged. "I may not like you, but I _do_ trust you. Even if you did steal my pager." They chuckled briefly. "And... I wanted to talk to you about something else. I... I've given up on Clark."

Lois stiffened, and opened her mouth to speak, but Chloe held up her hand. "Not, of course, that I ever had any shot with him, anyway. I don't know what's going on between you two, but I know there's something that's making things... awkward. If I were feeling self-important, I might say it was me, but I don't think it's that. What I do know is that he was never mine to claim. The whole time I've known him, he's never had eyes for anyone but you, and you don't even see it. Lois, you're his world."

She chuckled bitterly, then rushed on with what she was saying before Lois could attempt to interrupt her again. "He probably wouldn't like it if he knew I was telling you that. But it has to be said. I have a feeling there will be plenty of issues to be worked out between you two, but he's worth it, Lois. Just remember that. Clark Kent is absolutely, undeniably, worth it."

"But... but..." Lois stuttered. "But, if he really cares about me so much..." Her face fell, and her eyes dropped to her hands, curled awkwardly in her lap. "He keeps disappearing," she said in a barely-audible whisper. Chloe sighed.

"There's a reason for that. Someday, I bet he'll tell you. Just give it time, and don't be _too_ harsh on him when he runs off," she said, gagging herself quickly before she could say more and give away too much. None of this was hers to say, hers to tell. But things would go better for all involved if Lois were just a little more... understanding.

Nothing was said for a long time. Then Lois stated, in a cool, matter-of-fact voice, "He told you. Whatever's going on with him. He told you about it." Chloe shook her head. "No, I found out by accident. Honestly, I kind of wish I could tell you. But it's not mine to reveal. He'll tell you when he's ready."

Lois's expression was utterly bewildered. "Mayson, you've... we... but..." She paused briefly to collect her thoughts. "Why are you doing this? You and I don't get along, you've wanted Clark as long as you've known him. Why are you being so... nice?"

Chloe glanced away. "If I can't be happy, if I can't have him, he at least deserves to be happy. He deserves to be with the one person who can make him smile the way he does when he's looking at you. If I can help make that happen for him, I will."

Lois was awed. She had known that Mayson- or Chloe, or whatever her name was now- had had a heavy crush on Clark, but that she would give up her own happiness to make his own more palpable... that didn't happen every day. Very few women had the strength to do something like that. Her respect for the woman sitting across from her doubled.

"Thank you, Mayson," she said softly. For a moment, Lois debated even saying the words that rose to her tongue. But Mayson had just shared something deeply personal with her. It seemed that she ought to at least return the courtesy.

"You know," she said, more than half musing to herself, "I would never have admitted it- to myself or anyone- even a month ago, but quite honestly? I think I fell for Clark a very long time ago. I should have known he was something special when I was able to tolerate having him for a partner."

Lois didn't know why, but she suddenly felt the need to tell Mayson the whole truth, about the one thing she'd never told anyone. Clark knew all her secrets... all but one. And it had eaten her up inside for nearly eight months. It was time to open up. It wasn't something Lois did easily, but Mayson put her at ease somehow.

"Mayson... can I tell you something?" she asked tentatively. The blonde woman nodded.

"Last year, I guess you probably heard all about that fiasco of an engagement I trapped myself into?" Chloe nodded. "Clark saved me that time, the way he always does. It was his research that got Inspector Henderson the information he needed to make the arrest. Before the ceremony was finished, the police burst in and tried to arrest Lex. He killed himself. Pretty much everybody knows that. What only a couple people know is that even before the cops showed up, I had called off the wedding. I told Lex I couldn't do it. I couldn't marry him. But what not a single other person knows is the reason why."

Chloe's dark brown eyes were intent on her own, inviting Lois to keep talking. Taking a deep breath, she plunged on. "That morning, I was trying to put myself into the life I kept seeing ahead of me. It didn't fit. My _name_ didn't fit. And all I could think about was Clark. I hadn't seen him in weeks, and I just kept thinking that if I'd known I'd have to lose him, I'd never have said yes to Lex. And as I was walking up the aisle, I just kept running in circles in my head. The first time Clark and I worked together. The day I thought he was leaving Metropolis. It was just... I realized that I couldn't live without him. I realized I was I might be in love with him."

Her voice broke slightly, and she had to force herself to continue. "And the worst part of it was that, not only was I there, about to marry someone else, but he'd told me he loved me not three weeks before and I'd rejected him. I was so harsh, I barely even acknowledged him. After the wedding, he took it all back. Said he'd lied to convince me not to marry Luthor. I'd been all set to tell him how I felt, and it turned out he didn't mean any of it."

Chloe was floored. The history of this awkward love triangle for two (or four, if you counted the odious Lex Luthor) was even more sordid than she had expected. "Wow," she said softly. "Lois, I don't know what to say. But if Clark felt about you then the way I'm sure he does now, he was lying to you when he said he had been dishonest about his feelings."

They sat in silence for awhile. Chloe felt as though she should say something more, but couldn't find the words. "I guess this means... we're friends now?" Lois said, phrasing the statement more as a question.

"I guess so," Chloe said with a giggle. "Maybe when all this mess with my investigation is over, we can get to know each other. Goodbye, Lois." She rose and made her way to the elevator. As the doors slid open, she turned and waved once.

There. She had done it. She'd released all claims on Clark once and for all. She'd severed her ties with who she had been... and maybe made a new friend, an anchor to draw her back when this was all behind her. Chloe Sullivan could move on with her life. Mayson Drake was gone.

--

Alone in the bullpen, a single figure sat in a pool of light. She brushed her dark hair out of her eyes, staring sightlessly out the window, musing on what she had just learned.

Yes, Lois Lane had a lot to think about.

--

**Well, that's all folks! I DO have a sequel planned, but this was primarily a fic about Mayson letting go and moving on, so that's all for now. Maybe, if I can find the time, I'll be able to write a follow-up about how her actions change Clark and Lois's relationship. Keywords: if I can find the time. But until then, you're welcome to read (and review!) any of my other fics (hint hint hint).**

**Lara**


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